


For Some Profound Confession

by BohemianRhapsodyInBlue



Series: I've Had Worse [1]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Coming Out, Drabble, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-14 17:06:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18952348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BohemianRhapsodyInBlue/pseuds/BohemianRhapsodyInBlue
Summary: ‘So you wanna tell what you’ve been plotting?’ Peter asked smugly, taking time to examining the other man’s features carefully.-Neal's hiding something from him, and Peter intends to find out what, while explaining himself Neal manages to let slip some other secrets.





	For Some Profound Confession

**Author's Note:**

> Literally just a random idea that came to me, doesn't really refer to anything canon. But here we go, I haven't uploaded something in like a year because I just did my first year of drama school which is obviously intense.
> 
> So anyway, this is my first White Collar fic, because Neal is such a complex character that I find it overwhelming to write about him haha, but I hope you enjoy :) x
> 
> -
> 
> TW for mentions of sexual assault but nothing graphic

‘So you wanna tell what you’ve been plotting?’ Peter asked smugly, taking time to examining the other man’s features carefully. They’d been sat around, taking advantage of a free weekend after closing another case. Peter had suggested they watch a game knowing he might be able to get Neal to speak if only out of boredom. 

As he’d suspected, Neal sat restlessly, never seeming to keep still. His fingers twitching and tapping against the arm of the sofa, and shuffling in his seat every few minutes. He didn’t seem aware of his jittery body language though as he stared blankly at the TV, his mind incontestably elsewhere.

Peter thought that his words would have drawn out a more noticeable response but the man simply turned his attention away from the screen, adorning a confused expression.

He was almost disappointed at the lack of reaction from the younger man even if it would inevitably mean Neal was up to something. He revelled in those rare moments when he was able to catch him out.

‘What? I’m not plotting anything.’ There it was, the face full of innocence, so convincing that sometimes Peter wondered if Neal believed his own lies. He let out an agonising sigh knowing this was just gonna lead to the same conversation they had every time Neal was hiding something.

‘Of course you’re not, Neal, did you really think I wouldn’t notice the way you’ve been acting these past few weeks?’ Now there was something he couldn’t deny. The odd changes of topics in the middle of conversations, the absent stare Neal always seemed to wear when he thought no one was looking, hell, he’d even started avoiding Peter at one point.

Peter sometimes wondered how Neal had ever managed to fool so many people when it seemed he could see right through him.

The man in question stayed quiet, as if only now realising he hadn’t hid it as well as he’d hoped, but he didn’t look away. Peter decided to continue.

‘I didn’t say anything at first because I thought you would tell me but now, I’m asking,’ He tilted his head slightly, levelling him with a look Neal liked to call his ‘dad face’, voice full of suspicion, ‘What are you doing? Because if this is another scheme I swear-‘ 

‘No Peter, stop, I haven’t, I’ve just been thinking about a lot of things recently, that’s all.’ Neal cut in.

Peter scoffed at the flimsy excuse.

‘Oh yeah, like what?’ At this, Neal stayed quiet, finally taking his cue to break eye contact. He shifted forward in his seat to rest his elbows against his knees and clasp his hands together, staring down at the rug as if in preparation for some profound confession. Peter watched as his eyebrows furrowed in thought. Probably trying to come up with his next lie, Peter thought, internally celebrating at blatantly catching him in a lie, breaking off from the mental script of how Neal no doubt planned for this conversation to go.

Peter wasn’t a malicious man, but after spending so much time following and working with Neal he soon realised that these little satisfactory moments were very hard to come by. There was no refuting the fact that Neal was an incredibly intelligent person and if he didn’t want you to know something then you most likely never would. So Peter waited, just begging to know what kind of story Neal was gonna spout to cover whatever this was. It was at least amusing to see how quickly the con man could fabricate an alibi. As per, within seconds Neal was delivering his answer.

‘I’ve been thinking a lot and-’ Neal paused ever so slightly, his mouth still moving but the words not quite coming out. Peter leaned forward in anticipation.

‘I’m bisexual.’ Neal raised his shoulders in an uncertain shrugging motion, his face showing a surprise at the words as if he himself didn’t expect to say those words. 

Peter mirrored his expression, raising his eyebrows, reciprocating the surprise on Neal’s features. That certainly hadn’t been what he was expecting, but then you never really did know what to expect with Neal. He narrowed his eyes in disbelief, trying to find a hint of trickery in Neal’s face which was proving difficult since the man still hadn’t looked up from the rug. Peter sighed entertaining the idea that Neal was actually coming out to him. It wasn’t entirely unbelievable, after all Neal had always said that he didn’t lie to Peter. Which would suggest that this was a distraction or just not the whole truth.

‘And what? You thought I wouldn’t be okay with it?’ Peter questioned, trying to get the the real reason Neal was telling him this. At his words, Neal looked up again.

‘What? No. I just, I wanted to figure it out first.’ He spoke with his well known confidence but Peter could see the way his eyes trailed over his expression, trying to see what Peter was thinking. Okay, so Neal definitely wasn’t lying about that, other wise he wouldn’t care so much about what Peter thought about it.

‘Right, okay then.’ Peter pursed his lips, thinking of how what to say next. ‘Say I believe that this is all you’ve been thinking about, why only these past few weeks, huh? What prompted this sudden discovery?’ 

‘It’s not a big deal.’ Neal emitted too quickly for Peter’s liking.

Peter waited saying nothing, knowing that if nothing else, the awkwardness of the silence would be enough to get Neal to keep speaking. Seeing through his techniques, Neal sighed in resignation, shoulders dropping in his usual dramatic style as though the world was being asked of him, his eye line trailing up to the ceiling.

‘A few weeks ago, we were on that forgery case, the weird dog paintings?’ He paused as though to check Peter was following.

‘Right?’ Peter prompted at his hesitation with a bit of impatience.

‘The guy who did it, you remember his- his brother I think, he kept hanging around?’

Peter searched back trying to recall.

‘The shifty guy, kept watching us, I remember.’ Peter took a mental note of the flicker of annoyance that crossed Neal’s face before disappearing, he supposed it would be an easier topic to dismiss if he hadn’t remembered the guy.

‘Well, while you were somewhere else, I think you were having a tour of the guy’s artwork collection, his brother pulled me aside, cornered me in a supply closet and-‘ 

Neal paused, peter watched his larynx dipping as he swallowed nervously.

‘Neal?’ 

‘He just kissed me and his hands, uh, roamed, you could say.’ Neal spoke with an air of nonchalance, as if he was simply talking about the weather.

‘Jesus, Neal, why didn’t you tell me?’ The younger man’s eyes dropped to his hands, inspecting his nails, and clearing his throat.

‘He um, he said he did it because he knew I was gay and that he would tell you and I would get kicked out of the FBI-’

‘Neal that wouldn’t have happened, Diana-‘

‘Yeah, yeah I know, she wears the hat, I get it.’ Neal waved his hand in dismissal. Peter almost smiled at the reference to when they’d first started working together, appreciating that Neal remembered his words.

’It just, it got me thinking, cause I’m not gay, but well, whatever. I’ve just been trying to figure myself out, that’s why I didn’t tell you.’ Peter nodded, accepting that explanation before remembering the bigger issue at hand.

‘But Neal, still, that’s assault, we should press charges!’ 

Neal just shrugged, his mouth drawing up into an amused smirk.

‘Peter, I went to prison, with this face. I’ve had worse.’ He said in a tone that shouldn’t have sounded so cocky.

Peter galled, looking horrified at the idea. Immediately feeling guilty for not even considering that Neal might have been hurt in prison.

‘Hey, no, look I’m fine, okay? I don’t have any issues or anything, so you don’t need to worry.’ Neal tried to assure him. This was one of those moments where Peter knew that despite the calm and confident expression, Neal was lying, at yet he took no satisfaction in knowing that.

‘Promise me that if anything like this happens again you’ll tell me.’ He demanded firmly.

‘Peter-‘

‘Promise me.’ Neal paused sucking in a breath stubbornly.

‘Okay, I promise.’ He said w  
ith finality, something Peter knew to mean that he would rather this conversation be over. Neal turned back to the TV, managing to look completely engaged in an advertisement about laundry detergent. Peter gave him the courtesy of doing the same, knowing he’d gotten a lot out of Neal today, more than the man would normally like to admit about himself.

‘And if you ever need to talk to me, or someone else, about prison, you can okay?’

Neal gave a minute smile, not looking away from the screen. It wasn’t necessary, Neal told himself, he was fine. Nevertheless, he did appreciate the thought.

‘Okay.’


End file.
